Leniency urged for Maldives rape victim who could be flogged

The president of the Maldives has called for leniency in the case of a 15-year-old alleged rape victim who could be publicly whipped for the crime of fornication.

Amnesty International says there's strong reason to beleive the girl was repeatedly raped by her stepfather for years.

It says she eventually gave birth to a baby, found buried on the family's property.

Police have charged the step-father and the girl's mother, but under Sharia law, the victim also faces the charge of fornication, which carries a punishment of 100 lashes of a whip in public.

Amnesty reseracher Abbas Faiz has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program the charges should never have been laid.

"She should actually be the person who received the support rather than being punished," he said.

"This girl who has been raped, and who needs support and who need counselling...now instead of all of the the authorities in the Maldives have decided to charge her."

If convicted, the girl would be held under house arrest until she's 18, at which time she would be publicly flogged.

President Mohamed Waheed's spokesman Masood Imad has called for leniency, and says the flogging could be symbolic and not designed to inflict pain.

Abbas Faiz says the flogging, symbolic or otherwise, should not be carried out.

"In this particular case what they're probably trying to do is subject this girl to the humiliation of being flogged," he said.

"Whether that flogging is harsh or not so harsh - the fact is that a girl of 15 is going to live for three years of the day that she is going to be flogged."

The president's spokesman says the president cannot directly intervene in the court process - but Amnesty's Abbas Faiz is calling for a stronger response from the government.

"They've got change the law, they've got to come out and say that 'enough is enough - we are not going to allow young girls in the Maldives to be subjected to flogging'," he said.

"Flogging continues - it happens almost every month for very minor issues that relate to religious offences - and the government, rather than just saying 'we are going to be lenient', they should stop using this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment."